Professor of Vocational Education

We are now looking for a

Professor of Vocational Education

to join us in the Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu, Finland. The position is permanent and will be filled from the 1st of January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The professor of vocational education strengthens research on vocational education and work-life-oriented research and education, uniquely combining the research and development of vocational education, higher education, and working life. The core mission is to research and develop vocational education in close collaboration with working life to respond to rapidly changing competence needs in Finland.

About the job

The successful candidate is required to have a doctoral degree in a relevant field and a strong track record of conducting outstanding scientific research. This includes publishing in leading scientific journals, attracting external research funding, and supervising research.

The selected candidate will conduct and develop research and teaching in the area of the position within the faculty and at the University of Oulu, including

• developing research and teaching in vocational education,
• strengthening national and international research collaboration,
• leading research projects and securing external funding,
• supervising doctoral students,
• designing and developing new research and learning environments,
• actively bringing new networks for faculty utilisation with stakeholders in working life,
• planning and launching the master's program in vocational education.

What we offer

The professor will be supported by a co-development forum, which brings together donor organizations and other key working life partners. The forum's tasks are to anticipate competence needs, direct research with a working life orientation, and develop new models of co-development.

We have an HR Excellence in Research -quality label, which is a recognition awarded by the European Commission for the development of researchers’ working conditions and careers. As a Faculty of Education and Psychology, we offer a nationally and internationally respected education and research environment, which embraces societal impact. We carry out and develop interdisciplinary and international research and teacher training. Our research community members are supported by highly skilled administrators, excellent library facilities and research services. Read about staff benefits and more about working with us.

Oulu is a combination of beautiful, northern nature, vivid cultural life and modern technology. The city is also known for its highly educated people and friendly, easy-going atmosphere. Oulu enjoys the high standard of living Finland is known for, while living is very affordable compared to many of its other university cities. The Oulu region is home to over 200,000 people making it the largest urban centre in northern Nordics and one of the fastest growing regions in Finland. Read more about living in Oulu. If you are moving from abroad, we offer comprehensive relocation packages to support your smooth relocation to Oulu. Our Buddy Programme and Spouse Network support you and your close ones in settling into Oulu.

Who are you?

In order to succeed and enjoy the position, we require from you: 

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field
• High level of scientific qualification (including possible docentship)
• Demonstrated excellence in scientific research
• Demonstrated ability to lead and provide high-quality research-based education and supervision at Bachelor’s, Master’s and preferably also doctoral levels
• Demonstrated international research cooperation in the field of the professorship
• Demonstrated ability to attract competitive external research funding and act as an Academic Leader
• Experience in high societal impact and research dissemination to stakeholders and the general public
• Fluency in Finnish language, excellent oral and written language skills in English
• Existing understanding of the Finnish context in the field of the professorship and of the Finnish education system

Particular merit is given to overlaps between applicant’s research profile and educational and pedagogical research questions.

Salary

The position is permanent from 1.1.2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. The beginning salary will be based on the level 8 of the demand level chart for teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. In addition, a salary component based on personal work performance will be paid. The starting gross salary will be approx. 6000-6400 € per month (before taxes). A trial period of 6 months is applied in the position. Within the full-time working hours (1612 hours per annum) and an annually confirmed working plan, the professor shall teach in the faculty’s introductory, intermediate and advanced level courses and supervise theses.

How to apply?

Interested? If yes, please apply by 20.4.2026 (23:59 Finnish local time) through our recruitment system.

The application should be written in English and include the following:

1. Cover letter with contact details of 2–4 persons available for recommendation
2. CV following the guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity
3. Narrative CV, using the given template (more information: principles for the assessment of research and researchers at the University of Oulu)
4. List of publications following the guidelines of the Research Council of Finland
5. Brief account of research merits 
6. Teaching portfolio (maximum five pages) containing:
   1. Teaching philosophy, teaching strategies, and methods 
   2. A description of oneself as a teacher and an implementer of educational work 
   3. Practical experience in teaching and efforts to improve teaching, digital teaching skills and giving feedback, possible participation in continuous learning provision, and international educational collaboration 
   4. Production and use of learning materials, including open educational resources 
   5. Maintaining and developing one’s own teaching and supervision competence; description of one’s pedagogical training; the significance of research in maintaining and developing one's teaching and supervision competence 
   6. Feedback received on teaching (student evaluations, peer evaluations, awards, and assessed test lectures) 
   7. Vision for the development of one’s teaching 
7. Details regarding the acquisition of research funds 
8. A brief research and action plan 

The selection process follows the University of Oulu recruitment guidelines and is carried out by a recruitment committee. The candidates are subjected to publication analyses based on their publication lists. The candidates who are considered most suitable by the recruitment committee will undergo an expert evaluation assessing the following merits:

• Scientific excellence: Research outputs, such as publications, research data, methods, scientific quality, openness, scientific renewal, and impact
• Research activities, such as acquisition of competitive research funds, presentations, workshops and seminars, trans- or multidisciplinary, awards, honours
• International scientific activities and collaboration
• Teaching, supervision of undergraduate students and doctoral researchers, mentoring activities, and pedagogical studies
• Societal relevance, impact, and potential of scientific activities, such as patents and inventions, stakeholder activities, expert work, science popularisation, promotion of the SDGs, and citizen science
• Services for the academic community, such as peer review, editorial work, academic expert, and administrative tasks
• Leadership and interaction skills

The person selected for the position of Professor must achieve a rating of “excellent” or “outstanding”, both in the overall grade and in the category “scientific excellence”. Top candidates will also be invited to an on-site or remote interview and asked to give a teaching demonstration as part of the assessment of teaching skills. In the evaluation of teaching skills, the person selected for the position of professor must achieve at least the grade “very good” (4/5). All applicants will be notified during the selection process.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including people of different ages, genders, languages, cultures, and minority communities.

Contact Information

If you have any further questions, please contact Dean, Professor Maija Lanas, Faculty of Education and Psychology, maija.lanas(at)oulu.fi, +358 50 3504983.